Why Didn't You Tell Me?
by iloveromance
Summary: When Daphne receives the most astonishing news imaginable, she can hardly believe it to be true. But in the process of letting the news sink in, she learns something even more astonishing; something that rocks her already unsteady world. (Episode: "Visions of Daphne").
1. Chapter 1

In the living room the phone rang, but Daphne chose to ignore it. She couldn't possibly talk to anyone at that moment. She was much too excited. Feeling like a school girl she sat down on her bed and drew her knees to her chin, giving herself a gentle squeeze. She could hardly believe what Frasier and Martin had told her just moments before was true. Donny was going to ask her to marry him! She was getting married!

Unable to quell the sudden burst of excitement that welled inside of her; the one that made her want to scream with glee, she grabbed her pillow and pressed it against her mouth, unleashing the muffled, excited squeal. She hadn't felt this giddy since...well, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been so happy or cheerful. Perhaps it was because she'd never been this happy in her life. Nothing could compare to the happiness that she was feeling.

She; Daphne Moon, a girl from Manchester England, was going to be Mrs. Ronald, Donald Douglas! When Martin told her that he'd seen Donny buying an engagement ring at the jewelry store, Daphne's heart leapt in her chest. She loved him more than anything and the thought that a man like Donny (or any man for that matter) would want to marry a poor physical therapist from Manchester was nothing short of incredible.

She jumped to her feet, realizing suddenly that the ringing phone had probably been Donny wanting to talk to her and ask if he could come over. Pretty soon he wouldn't have to ask. He'd be part of her family. It was this wonderful thought that made her heart race even faster than before. She quickly changed her clothes, choosing a purple dress adorned with tiny red flowers with green stems. The red lace across the neckline added a romantic touch; perfect for a proposal, she thought. A dark purple sweater accompanied the look and to finish it off, she pulled her hair back, securing it into a barrette and then spritzed herself with her favorite perfume. She looked in the mirror, pleased with her appearance. She only hoped that her beating heart didn't sound as loud to everyone else as it sounded to her own ears.

One last glance in the mirror made her smile. She wanted to look nice for her fiancé. And she looked better than nice. She looked amazing.

 _Fiancé…The_ word made her smile and her heart swelled.

She made her way into the living room just as the front door closed. The sight made her slightly curious as to who the mysterious visitor had been. Frasier stood by the bookcase and Martin was sitting in a chair at the table.

"Ah, that poor kid." He said, shaking his head sadly.

"Oh, he'll be all right." Frasier replied. "You know… he's a lot stronger than we give him credit for."

The phone rang again and Daphne's heart leapt. Any second Frasier was going to give her the phone and it would be Donny on the other end asking if he could come over.

"Hello?" Frasier said. And then there was a pause before he spoke again. "Hold the elevator, I'll be right there."

As Frasier headed for the door, the phone rang again. This time Martin picked it up.

"Hang in there son. He's on his way."

Daphne had no idea what that meant, but it couldn't have been good.


	2. Chapter 2

Curious, Daphne walked over to Martin's beloved chair, where she could see Frasier open the door. But it was the sight just past her boss, through the small space where the door was ajar that caught her attention.

Niles was standing in the doorway of the lift, leaning his head against it. His cell phone was pressed to his ear, but he didn't appear to be talking to anyone. He looked upset.

But before she could even take a step toward the door, it closed, shutting out her view.

Martin shook his head. "That poor kid. He's heartbroken."

"Mr. Crane?"

He whirled around, clearly stunned by the sight of her, wearing an expression of a criminal who had been caught in the act.

"Daphne, I-I didn't know that you were there."

She smiled. "Well, I can see that. But what's going on? Is something wrong with Dr. Crane?"

Mr. Crane sighed. "Actually there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"But not here. Let's…. go into the kitchen."

Her heart began to race once more. "What's going on?"

Uncharacteristically, he took her hand and led her into the kitchen. The touch of his masculine hand in hers reminded her so much of her father and suddenly she missed her dad terribly. Perhaps she could persuade Donny to accompany her on a visit to see her parents in Manchester where she and Donny could announce their engagement. It was a completely wonderful thought and it would make her mum so happy. And she missed her brothers terribly.

But at the moment she was more concerned about her friend.

"What's wrong with Dr. Crane?" she asked point-blank. "Please, Mr. Crane, tell me. What's happened? What do you mean by _he's heartbroken_? What's going on?"

"Ah geez, I should have never said a damn word about that damn engagement ring!"

"But that was my fault!" She protested. "If I hadn't walked into the room at that exact moment, I never would have known. But that doesn't matter now. Just tell me what's going on with Dr. Crane. Please!"

A deep sigh and a shake of his head. "All right, I'll tell you but believe me I shouldn't. Not now. And I shouldn't be the one telling you this. Niles-."

"What about him?"

"There's no easy way to say this so I'm just going to come right out and say it, okay?"

Daphne straightened, preparing herself for anything that Martin was going to throw her way.

"Daphne, Niles is-."

"Yes?"

"Well, he's..."

"What? He's what?"

"Niles is in love with you, Daphne. And I don't mean a little crush. Although that's what I thought it was in the beginning. But now… It's no crush. He's crazy in love."

Daphne could only stare at Martin in complete and utter disbelief. She'd prepared herself for anything….

Except this.


	3. Chapter 3

"I-I don't…"

Martin chuckled. "Why don't you just go and talk to him?"

"But what could I say? I mean, he already knows that Donny...He thinks that Donny and I are-."

"Are you? Going to marry him? That is what you were going to say, right?"

She turned around, wiping a tear from her eye. "I don't know. Not anymore."

"Just talk to him, okay? Whatever you decide is up to you. And Niles will understand."

"Apparently not." She said, stating the obvious. Worry crept into her chest then. Or was it unease? She barely had time to think when she felt Martin's hand on her back, gently steering her out of the living room. But when she reached the hallway, she was dismayed to find Frasier standing there alone.

"Wh-where's your brother?"

"Don't worry about him, Daphne. He'll be fine." Frasier said, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. "When is Donny due to be here?"

She blinked, realizing that she'd almost completely forgotten about her soon to be fiancé. And the fact that she questioned that he might not be her fiancé was a sign of epic proportions.

"Daphne?"

Brought out of her trance, her eyes met Frasier's. "Yes?"

"Are you all right?"

"Where's your brother?" She asked again, ignoring his question.

"Probably on his way home by now."

"NO!" She yelled, averting her eyes to the sight of Frasier's raised eyebrows. "No! He can't leave! I-I need to talk to him badly!"

Before Frasier could respond, Daphne retreated into the living room and went to get her purse.

"Where are ya going?" Frasier asked, entering the front door.

"To talk to your brother." She replied. "I just hope I'm not too late."

"Don't worry Daph. Everything will be fine." Martin said.

But Frasier scoffed. "Fine? Dad, what are you talking about? Where's Daphne going?"

"She just told you. To talk to Niles."

"But what about Donny?" Frasier went on. "Isn't he on his way over?"

At the mention of Donny's name, Daphne whirled around. She'd forgotten about him again. "Um, Mr. Crane, Dr. Crane… Can you please tell Donny-."

"Sure, Daph. Just go." Martin said. "It'll be fine."

And so Daphne went.


	4. Chapter 4

Her hand was shaking so badly that she could barely get her key into the ignition of her car. How would she possibly be able to drive in this ridiculous state of nervousness?

In a daze, she pulled out of the Elliott Bay Towers parking garage and began driving blindly down the street. Thankfully her sub conscious was aware of the cars that zoomed past her and the traffic signals, stop signs and other things that drivers needed to be aware of. But her heart wasn't paying attention.

Her eyes scanned every inch of the road in front of her, hoping for any sign of her friend at all. He'd only left a few minutes before and surely he hadn't made it back to his home yet. There was still a chance-

And then it came. The sign that she'd been hoping for.

She saw it clearly in the form of a black BMW, Washington State license plate R57KL3. She wondered why Niles didn't have a silly license plate that pertained to his profession, the word _psychiatrist_ or _shrink_ spelled out in jumbled letters that would fit the flat piece of metal. But Niles would never do anything like that. He was too straightforward, always talking about his ethics when it came to his profession and his life. She supposed it was admirable for him to be that way, but Niles and Frasier were so vastly different from Martin that it was sometimes hard to imagine that he was their father.

The car was parked on the shoulder of the four lane road. It was a strange and somewhat dangerous place in which to be parked, but thankfully the traffic was unusually light. She put on her turn signal and carefully crossed the lanes of traffic, pulling her car to a stop behind him. She could see him clearly through the front window, sitting in the driver's seat. But when she caught a glimpse of his face in his rear-view mirror, his expression brought tears to her eyes.

When the traffic was clear, she scrambled out of her car and made her way toward him. Slowly she approached his car and peered into the driver's side window. He was sitting with his head lowered; a sight that broke her heart.

She knocked gently on the window, but he jumped in surprise and looked over, clearly stunned at the sight of her.

The door opened and she stepped back to allow him to get out of the car, which he did in one fluid motion.

"Daphne? What-what are you doing out here?"

She took his hand and closed the car door. "Let's go over here." Slowly she led him to the sidewalk, but kept a hold of his hand.

"Daphne, what's wrong? What are you doing here?" He asked again.

"Dr. Crane, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I didn't know…" She stammered, the tears making their way down her cheeks.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your father told me, but please don't be angry with him. It was my fault. I made him tell me but I was so worried about you! I saw you getting onto the lift and your brother was there but I never dreamed… Oh, Dr. Crane, why didn't you tell me?"

"T-tell you what?"

"I know that you're in love with me."

His eyes widened and he stumbled, but she caught him before he fell. "Dr. Crane, are you all right?"

"I-What did you say?"

"I said _are you all right_?"

"No, I mean… before."

"I know that you're in love with me."

"Daphne, I-."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked again.

"I-I tried so many times but then you said that Donny was going to ask you to marry him and I just-."

"I'm not going to marry Donny."

"You're not?"

"H-how could I possibly marry someone when someone else is in love with me?"

"But Daphne-."

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. "I'm so sorry, Dr. Crane. I wish I had known. I would have never-."

"Daphne, this isn't your fault. You can't blame yourself. I"m the one who-"

"You're so sweet." She said, cradling his face in her hands. "Why didn't I see this before? All the times you've complimented me, showed such concern about me… I should have known..."

"Daphne, please don't feel guilty. The fault is mine, I-."

But she couldn't control her feelings any longer. Her lips were on his, stopping him from saying whatever he was going to say. And by the way he returned her kisses, he didn't seem to mind.

Suddenly the realization that they were standing on a sidewalk beside a busy street made her pull away from him.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just-don't you think we should continue this in private?"

He looked around and the sight made her laugh. "Oh… You're absolutely right. Where should we go? My place? Frasier's place? A hotel?"

She smiled at the way his cheeks reddened at the mention of a hotel and she squeezed his hand. "I don't care. As long it's someplace that we can spend some time together, that's all that matters."

"First things first. Why don't we take your car back to Frasier's and then I'll take you anywhere you want to go. My treat."  
"All right. I'll follow you in me car."

They hugged once more and she turned to go to her car. But it wasn't hard to smile at the sight of him, blowing her a kiss and mouthing the words "I love you." From the rear-view mirror of his car.

Suddenly the happiness she felt just hours before seemed to pale in comparison.

 _ **A/N: I know this reads like an ending but there's still a bit more to go so please keep reading! Thanks for the reviews and for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

Uncertainty fell onto Daphne as she pulled her car into the Elliot Bay Towers parking garage. Niles pulled his BMW into the space beside her and shut off the engine. She was barely out of the car when he was suddenly standing by her side. She took his outstretched hand and he helped her out of the car. It was something that Donny had never done, even when they were first dating.

Still hoping onto Niles' hand, she kissed his soft cheek. "You're such a gentleman."

"And you are absolutely beautiful." He replied.

She gasped in surprise as she pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. She was grateful that he was holding onto her when she moved her arms away from his, for she surely would have fainted. Never in her life had she been kissed in such a manner. It was a kiss that every woman dreamed about; the kiss of fairy tales.

But then reality set in. "No…" she said, drawing back even further so that they were now standing apart. She couldn't meet his eyes for the concern that she knew she would find there.

"Daphne, what's wrong?"

Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his. "Y-your brother and your father…"

"What about Dad and Frasier?"

"We should go inside." She said, silently cursing herself. It wasn't at all what she'd wanted to say. "They're probably worried."

He started to speak but she took his hand and led him into the building. They walked past Morrie the doorman who greeted them in the manner in which he'd always greeted them.

"Good evening Ms. Moon, Dr. Crane."

"H-hello Morrie." She said, feigning a smile. "Please, call me Daphne."

Morrie nodded. "All right. Good evening Daphne. I heard that congratulations are in order."

She froze; an unsettling feeling settling in her stomach. Why did he have to bring that up at that moment, when things were turned upside down to begin with?

"Daphne?"

She glanced at Niles and then back at Morrie. "No, I…"

Morrie's eyes widened. "No?"

The poor man looked completely embarrassed and she felt for him. She smiled (a real smile) and reached for his hand. "No, I'm sorry. But thank you for your concern. You've always been so kind."

"Oh, well… Mr. Crane said…"

"He was wrong." She snapped, immediately feeling guilty.

"It's all right, Morrie. I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding." As if sensing Daphne's unease, Niles put his arm around her and led her toward the elevators. But she felt worse than ever. How could she have spoken so harshly to such a nice man? It would take a lifetime to make it up to him and she feared that things between them might not ever be the same. But her life had changed so dramatically in the past few days that nothing could ever be the same again.

They stepped inside and rode to the nineteenth floor in silence. But she was well aware of Niles' soft hand in hers, the way his thumb was moving across her skin. The doors opened and they crossed the hallway, pausing at the door. He reached for her free hand and looked into her eyes.

"Daphne is everything all right?"

"I…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She lied. "Let's go inside."

He remained silent as she inserted her key into the lock; but her trembling hand made even the simplest act difficult. The moment the door was opened, they found Frasier and Martin standing in the doorway.

"Niles." Martin said by way of greeting.

"Dad, Frasier… About before…" Niles began.

"Apology not necessary, Niles. I'm…"

"What Fras is trying to say is that he's happy for you, son. And so am I."

Daphne's eyes moved toward Martin in disbelief. "Did Donny-."

"I talked to him for you, Daphne." Frasier explained. "But I think that you should call him."

Her mouth fell open. "Y-you didn't tell him about…"

"No. The only thing I told him was that tonight wasn't a good night for you to have company."

"But Dr. Crane…"

"Don't worry Daphne. I didn't tell him anything else. He was agitated of course, but it's all the more reason that you should talk to him. And when you do, be completely honest; speak from the heart."

"I-I will." Daphne promised. She then turned to Niles and kissed his cheek. "But not tonight."

"Tonight we should celebrate!" Niles said enthusiastically. "Frasier do we have any champagne in the refrigerator?"

"Yes, I think we do, Niles." Frasier replied.

Niles crossed the living room following his brother into the kitchen, leaving Daphne alone in the living room with Martin.

She stood perfectly still, listening to the refrigerator door open and close. Then came the pop of the champagne cork and the clinking of glasses. "I'll go and help them." Martin said.

But still Daphne could not move, and when he realized that she was standing there alone, he returned to her side, his hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Daphne?"

"I-I don't know." She replied honestly.

"What's wrong?"

"I-I don't know!" She repeated; her voice rising several octaves. "I just… I'm afraid that this was all a big mistake!"


	6. Chapter 6

She turned away and started to cry, knowing that Martin was standing beside her, wearing a look of confusion. "Daphne…"

"Okay, who wants champagne?" Frasier called.

Daphne turned to find her boss and his brother coming out of the kitchen.

"I'll make the first toast." Niles announced, holding up his glass. "I-." He froze as his eyes met Daphne's and he sat his glass on the table. He went to her at once, taking her into his arms. "Sweetheart, what is it? What's wrong?"

"This is a _mistake_ , Dr. Crane!"

He moved out of her arms, staring at her in disbelief. "What? Daphne…"

Martin cleared his throat. "Um, Fras, why don't we…"

"Of course Dad." Frasier replied. "You know, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. Why don't we go down to the lobby?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Martin agreed.

Daphne was grateful that the elder Crane men were gone but suddenly she wished that they had stayed. She needed their support at that moment more than ever. She moved to the sofa and sat down, her heart racing when she felt the cushion shift from Niles' weight as he sat down beside her.

"Daphne, if this is about what Dad told you, I am sorry."

She turned to him and took his hand. "Why would you apologize for something like that? You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I didn't mean for you to find out like this. I wanted-."

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and he sighed.

"Daphne, please don't cry. I never-."

"I wish I had known how you felt. But now that I do…"

"Yes?"

Her smile came easily. "I'm surprised of course. I had no idea."

"But-." He prompted.

She rose from the sofa and began to pace the room. "I'm scared, Dr. Crane."

He stood and grabbed her hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Scared? Sweetheart, what are you afraid of?"

"Of _this_ , Dr. Crane! Of _us_!"

"What?"

"Oh, never mind! I knew this was a bad idea! I'm sorry."

She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go of her hand.

"Daphne, you don't ever have to be afraid. I love you and I'll do anything-."

"But that's just it, Dr. Crane! I'm afraid of this! Just a few hours ago I was prepared to say yes to Donny's proposal! I was going to spend the rest of my life with him! And then I saw you… standing by the elevators. Your father told me why you were so upset."

"Damn it…" Niles muttered. But Daphne refused to let him feel guilty. Not about this.

"Don't blame your father. Please don't be angry with him. I made him tell me. I was just… I was so worried about you!" Her hand went to her trembling mouth and the tears spilled onto her cheeks like raindrops from a summer storm.

He held her hand tightly, bringing it to his lips for a kiss. "Daphne, please tell me… why are you so afraid? What did I do?"

She turned and took him into her arms, content to hold him for a bit. "Nothing. You didn't do anything, Dr. Crane. You're still the same sweet and wonderful man that you've always been."

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thank you Daphne, but-."

"I-I don't want to rush into anything. I never-I never thought that I could have romantic feelings for you. And when your father told me that you're in love with me, I couldn't believe it. I-I still can't believe it."

He drew out of her arms. "I hope you aren't disappointed."

She couldn't help it. She laughed out loud. "Disappointed? No, never…" Her lips met his, softly. "How could I possibly be disappointed? A handsome, sweet man falls in love with me and I had no idea. I'm so flattered, Dr. Crane. I really am. But-."

"Daphne please tells me. I promise I won't be angry, no matter what it is."

"I just… what if we start this romantic relationship and somewhere down the road we find that we're not compatible? Or that we no longer love each other?"

"No, that will never happen Daphne. Never."

"But you can't possibly know that! And neither can I!"

He nodded, his smile fading. "All right. Fair enough. But if it does…We'll work through it."

"I don't want to lose your friendship, Dr. Crane. It means the world to me."

"Daphne I will always be your friend, no matter what. I promise you that with my whole heart."

She hugged him tightly and then kissed his cheek. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, Frasier was right. If you're serious about not seeing Donny anymore, then you should talk to him."

"You're right. But I should do it in person. It's the right thing to do."

"I'll go with you, if you like." Niles offered.

She smiled and kissed his hand. "I have to do this meself. He's going to be hurt and most likely very angry, but I'll just tell him the truth. That I'm having romantic feelings for someone else and It's wrong to keep seeing Donny when I feel this way."

"All right, well…"

"I'll do it first thing tomorrow. But not tonight." She turned toward the balcony window and smiled. ""Your brother and father have been out there for a long time. And we never did get a chance to celebrate."

"You're right." Niles rose from the sofa and grabbed two champagne glasses filling them to the top. He handed one to her and kissed her cheek.

"Do you mind if I make the first toast?"

He seemed surprised. "Not at all. May I ask what yhou're going to say?"

She held up her glass until it was level with his. "To us. And to new beginnings."

He smiled, clinking his glass against hers and they sipped their champagne. "I like the sound of that."

She sat down the glass on the coffee table and threw her arms around Niles. "Oh, I love you, Niles Crane."

His mouth fell open in disbelief. "D-Daphne, you..."

"Yes?"

"You just called me _Niles_. And you said that you love me."

She grinned. "I did, didn't I?"

"Does this mean…"

"It means that we should take things slow. Why don't we start with a kiss?"

"Mm… I like the sound of that." He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, in much the same way that he'd kissed her earlier. They were so caught up in the moment that they barely heard the door open and then the sound of Martin's voice.

"You see Frasier? I told you that things would work out just fine."

Daphne smiled, and hugged Niles tightly, knowing that nothing could ever tear them apart.

 _ **~THE END~**_


End file.
